


I Don't Deserve This (You Look Perfect Tonight)

by Dash_El



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: F/F, First Dance, First Kiss, it's so soft, this is the softest thing i've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23561395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dash_El/pseuds/Dash_El
Summary: “What’s wrong, Helena?” Dinah asks curiously. “Never danced with another girl before?”“No, it’s not that.” Helena’s arms are rigid, her hands balling up into fists. She breathes out slowly before admitting the truth. “I’ve never danced with anyone before.”
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 17
Kudos: 145





	I Don't Deserve This (You Look Perfect Tonight)

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by Cathy Yan saying that Helena has never had a first kiss or prom dance. Also "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran, which is where the title comes from. I suggest listening to it while reading this.
> 
> I also apologise for any mistakes.

**I Don’t Deserve This (You Look Perfect Tonight)**

Dinah finds Helena standing out on her balcony. She’s leaning against the railing, taking a swig from the bottle of Jack Daniel’s in her hand. It's been a quiet night, with no need for the Birds to be patrolling.

“What are you thinking about, H?”

Helena looks over her shoulder and smirks.

“You need to stop picking my lock.” Dinah walks up to the railing and takes the bottle from Helena’s hand, lifting it to her lips. She closes her eyes and takes a drink. Handing the bottle back, she smiles at the other woman.  
  
“Or maybe you could give me a key.” Helena chuckles at that.

“Maybe.”

Helena and Dinah have grown close over the past few months since they became the Birds of Prey. Helena can barely remember what it's like to have a best friend, but she is sure that’s exactly what Dinah is to her. Dinah breaking into her apartment has become so common that Helena has considered giving her the spare key before. But that feels a little too…personal.

“To answer your question,” Helena says in between sips of whiskey, “I was thinking about you.” Helena stops at that. “I—I mean. Not you—umm—us—no—I mean.”

Dinah laughs softly and places her hand on Helena’s forearm.  
  
“Don’t hurt yourself there, Crossbow Killer.” Helena ducks her head and laughs.

“What I was trying to tell you,” Helena says, slowly lifting her head to look at Dinah, “was that I was thinking about how much my life has changed since coming back to Gotham. How you and Harley and Renee and Cass have changed my life.” She takes the final drink from the bottle before continuing. “The last time I was here…well…you know that story.” Helena smiles sadly.

Dinah squeezes Helena’s forearm.  
  
“You’ve changed my life too, Helena,” Dinah says softly. “I hope you know that.”

Helena can feel the tears forming in her eyes and pulls away from Dinah. She shivers, but she knows it isn’t from the cold.

“We—we should go inside.” Helena pushes off the railing, places the empty bottle on the ground, and turns to walk into the apartment.

“Helena...wait.” Dinah’s hand is on Helena’s arm again and it feels warm. So warm. “Do you hear that?” Helena looks down at Dinah’s hand then tilts her head up to meet her gaze.

“Uh,” she replies, “do I hear what?” Helena knows exactly what the sound is, but she’s too distracted by Dinah’s eyes sparkling under the balcony light.

“The music.”

“Oh,” Helena says, “yeah, that’s one of the neighbours. They always leave their window open when they play music in their apartment. It’s not usually Ed Sheeran, though.”

“You know who Ed Sheeran is?” Dinah asks incredulously.

“Even assassins know who Ed Sheeran is, _Canary_.”

Dinah lets out a laugh and it resonates with the soft melody playing through the night air.

“Alright, _Huntress_ ,” Dinah holds out her hand and raises her eyebrow. “Take my hand.”

“What?”

“Dance with me.” Helena’s eyes go wide and her legs buckle slightly underneath her.

“What?” Dinah smirks before saying it again.

“Dance with me.” Helena doesn’t know what to say. She is nervous. She is embarrassed. She has no fucking clue how she got here.

“What’s wrong, Helena?” Dinah asks curiously. “Never danced with another girl before?”

“No, it’s not that.” Helena’s arms are rigid, her hands balling up into fists. She breathes out slowly before admitting the truth. “I’ve never danced with anyone before.”

Dinah has an expression of confusion before her lips curl upwards into a wide smile. Helena can’t help but notice how beautiful Dinah’s smile is. If she’s being honest with herself, this isn’t the first time she’s made that observation before.

“Well,” Dinah says and raises her hand again. “Helena Rosa Bertinelli. Will you do me the honour of having your first dance with me?”

Helena wants to say yes. Wants to say yes a million times over. But the words fail to come out of her mouth. She can only manage to nod her head.

Dinah looks into the other woman’s eyes and grabs both of her wrists. She pulls them towards her hips and places Helena’s hands on her waist.

“Do you trust me?”

“You know I do,” Helena replies, finally finding her voice again.

Dinah smiles, raises her arms and wraps them around Helena’s neck. A shiver runs down Helena’s spine.

“What now?” Helena asks.

“Sway with me,” Dinah replies.

Helena nods and follows Dinah’s lead. Helena fumbles a few times and steps on Dinah’s toes, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Dinah looks into the taller woman’s eyes with a soft smile and Helena can feel her fingers gently stroking the back of her neck.

The music floats through the night air and it seems to get louder as the two women move together slowly. Helena closes her eyes as Dinah starts quietly singing along to the tune. She hasn’t heard Dinah sing for a while, but the sound of her voice is so soothing. Helena realises that this is the first time since her childhood that she has felt this way. That she has felt peace.

“Helena?”

Dinah speaking surprises her. Helena opens her eyes and realises that the two of them have stopped dancing. She tries to meet Dinah’s gaze, but Dinah isn’t looking at Helena’s eyes. Dinah is looking at her lips.

“Yes?” Helena breathes out nervously.

“What are you thinking about, H?” At that moment, Dinah’s eyes flicker to hers and they are swimming with desire.

“You.”

Dinah nods and moves her hands from behind Helena’s neck to her cheeks. She closes her eyes and presses their foreheads together before speaking again. Helena can hear the smile in Dinah’s voice as she asks the same question she did before they started dancing.

“Do you trust me?”

“You know I do.”

Dinah tilts her head back and brings her right hand down from Helena’s cheek to run her thumb along her bottom lip. Helena holds her breath. If she felt peace when she was dancing with Dinah, Helena now feels something else entirely. She feels _wanting_. She feels _longing_.

Dinah leans in and their lips meet.

Helena feels _complete_. 

She kisses Dinah back and a moan escapes the other woman’s lips. Helena knows without the shadow of a doubt that it is the best sound she has ever heard in her entire life. They kiss for a few moments longer before Helena pulls away, her eyes still closed. She is absolutely terrified to look at her, but Dinah is whispering quietly: _It’s okay. You’re okay._

Helena opens her eyes and there she is. The woman she just had her first dance with. Her first kiss with. The woman she is falling in love with.

“I don’t deserve this,” Helena says plainly. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Darling,” Dinah replies, “you do.” Dinah kisses Helena again softly. “You’re perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> Phew. I haven't written anything in years. This is dedicated to Liandre, Steph, and Ambar. Thanks for screaming at me to write this.


End file.
